From the choices below, select the term that best describes what is used to support a door header?

• A. Sill plate
• B. King stud
• C. Jack stud
• D. Trimmer stud

Answer: (D)

In door framing, the header that spans the opening must have its load carried down to the floor. The member that sits directly under the header and transfers that load to the bottom plate is the jack stud, which is also called a trimmer. This stud is placed on each side of the opening to hold up the header so the weight above can be carried safely to the sill and subfloor. The king stud runs the full height beside the opening and helps stabilize the wall, but it does not bear the header load by itself. The sill plate is at the base of the wall and anchors everything to the floor, not supporting the header directly. So the term describing the component that supports the door header is trimmer stud.